Please Check Out My FINAL Calif. Itenerary!
 

Two girls gone wild!!

Day One
Los Angeles, up highway one, through Santa Barbara (whale watching!), ending up in Cambria.

Day Two
Hearst Castle Tour
Spent rest of the day in Big Sur, ending up in Pescadera

Day Three
San Francisco

Day Four
Go north to Pt. Reyes, then to Bodega Bay, to Guernerville and Jenner to check out wine country...backtracking to sleep in San Francisco.

Day Five
Driving SOUTH from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Plan to take 101 South the whole way. Figure that it will take about 8 hours.

Day Six
Spend in L.A. Plan to see Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Chinatown, and head down to Long Beach to see the Queen Mary.

Phew!!! All right, to me, it looks like we can do it in 6 days and not be too rushed. But of course, I welcome feedback. Let me know what you think, or if there's anything "must see" on this route that I'm missing. :) Thanks!!

Sounds good to me, but do take time to stop and smell the roses. I'd rather omit something from a schedule, than be so rushed that I couldn't really enjoy it. We always say one thing we enjoy about our vacations is we try our hardest to be on as little of a schedule as possible.

You're packing a lot into one week! I think that Day 4 is a bit ambitious - Pt. Reyes is a day in itself. If your goal on day 5 is to get to LA the most efficient way, I would take highway 5 rather than 101. You can get to LA in about 6 hours with one short stop to eat etc. 5 is not scenic at all, whereas 101 has a bit more to see, which is why you may have opted to go that route. Have a great time!

Sallie, where are you flying in to LA from?

I'm coming from Indianapolis. I'll be there the first week in May. I've been before but I'm SO EXCITED. :) And my friend has never been before so I can't wait for her to see the beauty of California. I *know* that it's a very ambitious schedule and I'm especially sad about only getting 1/2 day in Big Sur...but there is so much to see, I just really want to at least sample everything.

Yeah, I chose 101 instead of I-5 South to get back to LA from San Fran, I didn't think it would take much longer and also thought it would be a lot prettier...any thoughts?

I was curious about that too. I've always done this trip open jaw, flying into SF and out of LA or vice versa, and it has always been as cheap that way as a regular round trip. Sure nice not to have to double back like that. Also there are many rental car firms now that don't charge a drop off charge for a car within California.

I'm glad you don't feel rushed. Your day 6 alone is more than I'd normally plan to do in a full week in the LA area.

Sallie,
I would definately not waste time driving to and from LA 2x.
Why don't you check into an open jaw ticket.
Fly into LA continue with your trip and fly out of SF. (or visa versa)
You will find yourself having a lot more time to enjoy yourselves w/o having to 'rush' back.
Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

I'm looping back to LA to visit a relative...

WHOOPS!!!

I misread that. The reason I didn't do open-jaw is that even though I've been traveling for 20 years, I've never done open-jaw. Looking at my itenerary now, that would have been a fabulous idea. :( Oh, well, plane reservation already made so I'll have to make due with what I've got!!

Looks a little tiring to me too. Day 2 especially.

Well, you're leaving me kinda breathless, much as I like to keep moving! LOL! You didn't say which month you are arriving, did you?

Day One: I'm assuming that you are arriving the night before? Otherwise you have to figure in the hours of travel and try to avoid peak traffic hours from Los Angeles heading north, also peak hours in Santa Barbara if you are arriving late in Santa Barbara. You should factor in at least two hours in each traffic jam.

Day Two: Assuming you are doing the Hearst Castle Morning Tour, you can certainly do a bit of driving through Big Sur after that. Most people plan on spending the night in Carmel/Monterey. The curiosity is why you choose Pescadero to stop off for the night - er, why Pescadero?

Day Three: One day in SF, you'll need your car to get around, so plan on paying for parking. Or take the half day tour of SF which will give you the highlights of the city without your needing to drive around yourself.

Day Four: This is unrealistic. Either you can go to Pt Reyes which is along the ocean, or you can "check out wine country" which is inland. Trying to do both means you can enjoy neither. Since you've already been through Big Sur, I'd suggest that you skip Pt Reyes and go to Sonoma County from SF. Stay north of SF for the night. Or, spend two/three more hours in the car and drive all the way south of SF and stay near SF airport, where there are plenty of good hotels; this will give you a headstart on your long drive back to LA the next day.

Day Five: you don't need to drive 101 again, the suggestion to drive back on Interstate 5 is a good one. You will already have seen the best of 101 on your way up from Los Angeles. The only part you will miss is from San Luis Obispo on up and this is mainly inland and not as attractive as the southern portion of 101. Take 5; from SF it'll be about 7 hours, so if you start out at 5 am, you can have lunch in LA. You can arrive in time to get to Santa Monica and spend the night there. If you decide to retrace your route back on 101, it'll take you about 10- 12 hours - which will get you into LA just in time for the traffic.

Good luck and drive carefully! Stay within the speed limits! We do have a highway patrol around! :)

Sallie, this is way too much for six days. You will be flying by lots of stuff you could stop and enjoy and rushing on to your next destination. I think you'll have loads more fun if you cut out the stuff you've planned to do north of San Francisco and spend more time in that fun city or in places on Highway 1 on your way north. HTTY

You will be spending almost all of your trip driving, and little time doing or seeing. If that's what you want, fine, but I would suggest cutting down your distances. There is no sane way to do Day Four, for instance.

We spent a week this past summer in San Fran and did not have enough time to do everything. There is sooo much to see and do there. Your trip sounds like a marathon. I agree---you need to take time to smell the roses and check out this incredible city!

Sallie27,
What time do you land in LA? Your plan to drive out of LA, through Santa Barbara and to grab a whale watching tour all before driving to Cambria is either silly or impossible, depending on what time of day.

Have you ever flown into LAX? From your plane to the curb can easily take two hours because their baggage claim is a nightmare. The freeway can be smooth sailing or stop and go, or stop and no go, for that matter. But you're not taking the 405, you're planning the 1, which is stoplights for many miles.

The 101 through Santa Barbara has been under construction for a couple years and this too is a gamble timewise.

So, What time are you landing,and what time is you whale cruise? I would allow five hours from landing until arrival in SB. Factor in your cruise and then add three hours to get to Cambria. (Know that your blowing past some of the best beaches, wineries and scenic drives to be had in Southern California.)

Good luck!

I hope that last day in L.A. is a Sat or Sun, that's too much to do with weekday traffic snarls.

Also, I'd skip the Queen Mary. Not worth cutting everything else short for.

Thanks for the feedback! I will skip 101 South and take I-5 South to get back to Los Angeles.

To answer some questions:

1) I'm going the first week of May
2) I am totally doing this trip on the cheap, which is why I chose Pescadera to sleep. There's a youth hostel there. :)
3) I land in LA at 8 a.m. on a weekday...I was planning on picking up the rental and heading straight north on Highway 1. No checked bags so no baggage claim.
4) Whale cruise...not sure what time it starts, I was planning on just happening upon the harbor and catching a cruise, or not.
5) So the BEST and most scenic areas are San Simeon to Big Sur?

And some other comments:

1) Skip Pt. Reyes? Are you sure? It doesn't look like it's too far from San Fran...and sort of on the way to wine country if I take the coast north...

2) Skip the Queen Mary? Not really worth a look? I'm interested in it but not if it's going to take a huge chunk out of my day.

Maybe I'll leave out Hearst Castle...the tour doesn't start until 10:20 a.m., whereas we could get up early and spend the whole day in Big Sur if we skipped the castle. I've seen one tour, it was fantastic, but it does take a long time.

Thank you sooo much for your help, I'll try to cut some things out and still see if I can see a lot of things. I do NOT want to be rushing from place to place, I guess I thought that this itenerary would be busy but still relaxing, maybe I should reevaluate, LOL!

Yes, the views between San Simeon and Big Sur are stunning and it is a beautiful area. The drive along the coast in Carmel and Pacific Grove and the tidepools at Point Lobos is also beautiful and very hands on. hat I mean by this is that you can really see the surf crashing above the rocks and see the life in the tidepools.

(I think you're driving past this part and not stopping.)

Instead of going to the Youth Hostel in Pescadero, if this isn't in summer and day two isn't on a Fri or Sat, check out Padre Oaks in Monterey. It's usually a bargain on non-summer weekdays ($40.- to 50.-). Clean and well maintained.

OK, I feel opinionated today - LOL!

Here's my retake on your trip:

Day One: end up in San Luis Obispo instead of Cambria. There is a IYH hostel in SLO. It is also south of Cambria, has more charm than Cambria, and is generally a much better stop for you.

If you plan on ending up in SLO, then you certainly have enough time to wind your way up the coast, see the whales or not, and have dinner in SLO. If you do decide on the night in SLO, stop off at the Madonna Inn for dinner. This is much better than saving money at a McDonald's!

Day Two: If you start off early, you can certainly make the 10 o'clock Hearst Castle Tour. Assuming that you end that tour (back at your car) around 1pm, that's still lots of time to go through Big Sur (90 miles), which should take you about 3/4 hours. I'd suggest that, if the weather is good, you should also take the hike to McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. It's the only falls that tumble into the Pacific Ocean in California. Beautiful sight.

If you still have time, stop off at Point Lobos and do whichever hike is convenient for you at this time. Point Lobos is one of the most beautiful state parks in California. You don't want to drive up Big Sur and miss Point Lobos. PL is about 2 miles south of Carmel.

Take the money you have saved in not staying in Cambria and spend it on the hotel that trippinkpj suggested in Monterey. There is so much to see and do in Carmel/Monterey. The lighthouse at Pigeon Point is way out in the middle of nowhere. It's better to end up in Monterey for the night and maybe even have time to wander around Carmel. If you do decide on staying in Monterey, there are plenty of wonderful restaurants in the area. My suggestion would be the Hog's Breath Restaurant in Carmel which used to be partly owned by Clint Eastwood - but there are lots of other wonderful places to sit down, relax and enjoy yourself.

Day Three: If you start out early (7am), you can go to Carmel Beach and watch the dogs and dog owners frolic on the beach. This is a much better sight than the beach at Point Reyes, which is pretty desolate. Then proceed leisurely north to SF.

The best youth hostel is the one labelled IYH Fisherman's Wharf. This is actually in Fort Mason. It's got an awesome view and free parking!

Enjoy SF this day!

Take the evening Alcatraz tour -it's much recommended, although I've never done it myself. If you do plan to do this, get the tickets early!

Day Four: I'd really skip Pt Reyes. The drive is not worth it, because you want more time out of the car to enjoy wine country.

I'd suggest driving around wine country for about half the day, then return to San Francisco, because you probably really want to explore SF more.

Stay the night again in the youth hostel at Fort Mason.

Day Five: Drive down Interstate 5 to Los Angeles. A good stop off point is the Harris Ranch near Coalinga.

Another good stop off point is the California Water Works building which is in the Tehachapi Mountains near Pyramid Lake. It's at the southern end of the mountains and has a freeway sign Lago di Mar (someone help me here! I know where to exit but can't remember the precise freeway sign)

If you want to spend the night in a youth hostel, then I would suggest driving ALL the way south to San Pedro. That's the best youth hostel in Southern California. Otherwise, there is a youth hostel in Santa Monica, but it is not cheap, particularly with the parking fees.

Maybe you could splurge a bit and spend your last night in a better hotel. The Comfort Inns, etc. are pretty hotels at a reasonable price.

Good luck! And enough of my opinions! Have a great time in California! :)

Point Reyes is on the way to the Russian River wine country, but it takes about an hour to get from the entrance to Pt. Reyes to the ocean, then whatever time you want to spend there. It's not worth doing if you want to go farther north. There's plenty of oceanside parkland south of Pt. Reyes at Mount Tam and north at Bodega to Jenner and beyond. A full day would be to drive over the Golden Gate, take Hwy One through Mt. Tamalpais State Park (mini version of Big Sur), drive up _past_ Pt. Reyes (maybe stop at the visitor center and do the short Earthquake Trail but don't go all the way to the ocean), continue north past Tomales Bay where you pick up the ocean again at Bodega Bay. Linger along the coast at Sonoma State Beach up to Jenner, then head inland along the Russian River. Stop in Guerneville and visit Armstrong Redwoods just north of town. continue east into the wine country around Healdsburg. Then take the freeway back to SF. That will fill an entire day--if there's time you could even head a bit north of Jenner to Fort Ross and Salt Point State park/beach.

I am so grateful for these suggestions!! I think I've been saved from making some serious mistakes. Sequoia and Easytraveler, thanks for your ideas. Easytraveler, thanks for the blow-by-blow!! I think I may have to toss Pt. Reyes for this trip.

I'm going "back to the drawing board" and will have something pasted together by this weekend - LOL!!

I congratulate you on your open mind. To be honest, I didn't respond to this thread (I think I did respond to an earlier one) because your emphasis of FINAL suggested you weren't open to any more ideas. It's nice to know you've agreed that this FINAL one could still be changed for the better.

LOL Neo! :-"

Sallie, do *NOT* skip Pt. Reyes!

All right, revised again! Let me know what you think.
------------------------------------
Day One
Arrive in L.A. 9 a.m. Immediately head up Highway One, through Santa Barbara (possible whale watching), end up at youth hostel in San Luis Obispo.

Day Two
Skipping Hearst Castle tour. Up early, spending entire day on coast from Cambria up through Big Sur. Hitting Julia Pfieffer Park, Carmel, Monterray, etc. Either staying at Padre Oaks in Monterray or going on to the lighthouse hostel in Pescadero.

Day Three
San Francisco - staying at the Fisherman's Wharf hostel w/ free parking...trying the 49 mile drive and then maybe taking a 1/2 day tour of the city

Day Four
Guernerville and Jenner to check out wine country...backtracking to sleep in San Francisco at the Fisherman's Wharf hostel.

Day Five
Up early and catching the first Alcatraz tour. Looks like that's 9:30 a.m. Hope to be on the road by noon, I-5 south to L.A., hope to be in L.A. by 8 p.m. Staying w/ relatives.

Day Six
Spend in L.A. Plan to see Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Chinatown, and head down to Long Beach to see the Queen Mary (if there's time).
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What do you think??

Cut Chinatown (unless you've never seen a tacky import souvenier shop before and you're just dieing to see some) and cut Long Beach/Queen Mary and it's OK.

With all the rain in California, portions of highway 1 between Cambria and Big Sur have been closed due to mud slides. Hopefully this won't be long term, but it would be a good idea to check road conditions before you leave. There is still a lot of rain in the forecast, so it could still be a problem the first week of May.

Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out beforehand.

Skip the Queen Mary on your 6th day. You won't have time, Long Beach is ugly. Driving in L.A. is not a breeze. There are lots of cars and lots of waits. You could sit on the freeway headed to Long Beach for a long time, when you could be site-seeing. Glad you're taking I-5 back down. 101 takes forever. On day, two, take an early tour of the castle, stop at Julia Pfeiffer State Park for a looksie and then head to Carmel. There's much more to see in Carmel/Monterey/Pebble beach, than Big Sur. Are you spending the night somewhere at Pescadero?

I think I'm skipping the castle tour to spend more time in Big Sur. I will either sleep in Monterray that night, or go on to Pescadera. There's a lighthouse hostel there that sounds very fun!

It does look like a cute hostel. I've visited the Lighthouse there before. :-)

My first instinct was to tell you to not skip the castle tour, but, your intenerary for day two looks like a great adventure.
Enjoy the day then please write back to tell us about it.

Day Three...if you have never been in San Francisco before IMHO it is a shame that you will be taking so much time to drive the 49 mi drive.
Since you have already taken the time to enjoy the coast on day two, I would spend more time 'in SF.'
There is Golden Gate Park, China Town, Haight Asbury, Pacific Heights, North Shore.
Lets see what others have to say.

Day Five...Take the audio tour, you will enjoy it.

Sallie,
If you decide to stay in San Francisco instead of taking the 49 mi drive, they offer free walking tours of all different neighborhoods. Check out this website:
http://www.sfhistory.org/index.php?pageid=21
All walking tours are free unless otherwise noted. But, a tip is a nice jesture.

ttt

I live in California. Your itinerary is aggressive to say the least. Good luck!

On the 101 route to LA. Try to time the arrival in LA. If you hit around 5pm on a business day the traffic will eat you alive! It will be jam packed. That alone can kill a nice drive down 101. ALWAYS remember the LA traffic!

Other than that I think you are trying to do too much and will be spending too much time in a car. But that is your call so have a great time!